Top 20 Musicians of All Time, in Any Genre: #20-16

By LA Weekly Mon., Jan. 9 2012 at 4:00 AM

See also:
*Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #15-11
*Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #10-6
*Top 20 Musicians of All Time, In Any Genre: #5-1

Yeah, yeah, we know. The top 20 greatest musicians of all time, in any genre. Where do we get off? Well, we'll tell you where we get off -- at Accuracy Station. Our team of writers listened to thousands and thousands of hours of music for this list, digging deep into the annals of history and exploring the sounds of the entire globe. We painstakingly researched the shit out of practically all music ever made, modern and classical, popular and experimental, chart-topping and obscure. You may not agree with every artist on this list, but one thing is for certain: You're going to respect the hell out of it. -Ben Westhoff

20. Johannes Sebastian Bach

Bach was a total badass. His name is practically synonymous with Baroque music, and by the turn of the 18th century he had become its master composer. His choir, instrument, and orchestral arrangements are painstakingly technical and well-organized, and he was a compositional powerhouse. Over his lifetime, he produced over 200 cantatas, concertos, and suites, which are still considered among the most beautifully arranged pieces of all time. Not exactly a lightweight. -Chris Walker

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Top 20 Musicians Of All Time

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jp8601

I was agreeing with this list, it was amazing every page was almost spot on, until... WILLIAM HUNG WAS NUMBER 1! Is that a joke i hope so!

Figsherman2222

william hung the best of all time? are you serious? thats probably the biggest joke ive ever heard haha. this website and all of the information on it are incredibly not creditable and should never be read. the person who wrote these rankings should seriously consider reconsidering his role in life. simply baffling.

Tharris1908

i love where you're going with this so far. I appreciate the thought and considerations put into in. i appreciate the music and messages of all you have so far. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the list....

El Mardo

Ha ha. I could have sworn the header for the article was top 20 musicians. Not pop icons. You guys kill me.

Bredsndwch

The Stones? lol, wasn't most of their shit just a bunch of covers of black rock...

anisha

Earn some extra bucks,easy part time online work, good salary, check it out... LazyCash10.c o m

William

Lost all credibility by including Notorious B.I.G.

Jon L.

I concur with William. Greatest MC of ever? Hardly a fraction of that. Rhyme skills, he was good at it. But there were a lot better at the time. He was just fixated into a "legendary" role due to media's exploitation of the East/West "feud" and the timing of his death. Made into a legend after the fact, for hardly a fact. Give me someone that did more than just rhyme, and actually dedicated their life to paint pictures through their music, not just for a quick thrill/story either. I'm talking about artists that can paint timeless pictures that echo in eternity to society's worldwide.

lawmusicmoderator

Who's better, then?

Tharris1908

i think with music, it is all subjective. When i hear a song by Biggie, it brings back memories of college and my first years of freedom as an adult. His stories touched me, and in his lyrics i saw a young man using his gifts to create a better life. I hear the struggles of generations in his voice. He was human and fallible and imperfect. Just like me. And i feel that. I get you on the commercialism. But had he not had that vehicle, how likely is it that we would ever have know who he was? There are 1000 amazing MCs in the underground who will never have a song played on the radio. The people who read this article will never hear from them. Biggie, to me, represents all those faceless voices. He told their stories. Not in their words. Not their exact experiences. But at least some of the things that are important to them reached the masses. And that's powerful. That's real. That's legendary.

Jon L.

Responding to this would probably open up Pandora's box on a personal opinion war. But that is the exact reason to have an article or discussion on this because it is controversial and is loaded with personal opinion. Who was better? East vs. West? Black vs. White? He vs. She? The point I am trying to make is that to be a LEGENDARY musician, (of all time) you must affect people from a longevity standpoint. When you create a song, that 20 or 30 years down the line, people have to SKIP because it sparks up too much internal emotion, then I would say you've reached the greatest of all time status. Kind of like Michael Jordan highlights that you look at now and still wonder how the defense felt guarding him. With Biggie, I never got the longevity and impact that other great artists have left with me. And to be honest, I started off in my early teens listening to Life After Death, and Ready to Die. Until I matured musically, I realized that Biggie's rhyme abilities were drowned out by use of samples of other (previous) great songs, and catchy hooks. (via bad boy records) Because of this, his music only made it to a certain point. That "point" is definitely not at the GREATEST MUSICIAN of all time plateau, but more of a Pop Star status. Where you can play his songs in the club because they are catchy and get people to dance. But then again, that's just my personal opinion. In all reality, that kind of artist is needed. But whether or not they are the GREATEST OF ALL TIME, is the question I am presenting. With that said, the commercialism of any artist in the Music Industry is subject to further individual review. I'm sure that I'll see some other great artists up here in the coming weeks as the numbers countdown to the top 5. But if I don't, then all credibility will be totally lost.